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SUNTA Bylaws

Bylaws of the Society for Urban, National and Transnational/Global Anthropology: A Section of the American Anthropological Association
Revised per 2005 SUNTA membership approval of revisions to Articles IV and VIII.

Section 1. The name of this organization is the Society for Urban, National and Transnational/Global Anthropology hereinafter referred to as “Society.”

ARTICLE II. Purposes

Section 1. The Society is organized exclusively for educational and scientific purposes within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, to advance the science and profession of urban, national and transnational/global anthropology, to promote the advancement of research and the professional interest of urban, national, transnational/global anthropologists, to facilitate the distribution of knowledge and understanding of complex urban, national, and transnational/global societies, to encourage the application of knowledge acquired in the study of urban, national and transnational/global anthropology for the benefit of society in general in order to improve the quality of life in contemporary complex urban, national and transnational/global societies.

ARTICLE III. Membership

Section 1. Membership is open to any member of the American Anthropological Association in sympathy with the objectives of the Society, as set forth in Article II, who applies in writing and complies with other requirements adopted by the Board of Directors including payment of membership dues. Residents of any country are eligible for membership.

Section 2. Institutional members consist of all organizations who pay annual dues, as determined by the Board of Directors.

Section 3. Each member shall have one vote in the transaction of the business of the Society not otherwise conducted by the Board of Directors and shall be eligible for any elective or appointive office in the Society, subject only to restrictions defined elsewhere in these Bylaws. Each member shall receive all the Society’s regular publications (as defined by the Board of Directors) for the year covered by the members dues.

Section 4. A member may resign upon written notification to the Secretary. After providing written notice with the reasons therefore and provision of a right to a hearing before the Board of Directors or membership committee established by the Board of Directors, the Board of Directors may, by three-quarters vote of the Directors present at the meeting, remove from the membership rolls any member whose acts are contrary to the ideas, objects and accepted standards of the Society, or who makes improper use of membership in the Society. Such action of the Board of Directors may be overruled by a majority of the membership of the Society present at its Annual Business Meeting. The Board of Directors may, after providing a 30-day written notice, terminate membership in the Society for nonpayment of dues. [Return to Top of the page]

ARTICLE IV. Organization

Section 1. The officers of the Society shall consist of a President, a President-Elect, a Secretary, a Treasurer, and four Councilors, and such Editors as may be named. The fourth Councilor will be elected from the Student-Members of the Society and must be an enrolled graduate student both at the time of nomination and the beginning of the term of office. The term of the Student-Councilor will be two years.

Section 2. The Board of Directors shall consist of the above-named officers of the Society and the immediate past President, who will serve in an ex-officio capacity for two years.

Section 3. The President-Elect shall be elected for a two-year term, at the conclusion of which the President-Elect shall succeed to the Presidency to serve a two-year term. At the conclusion of this term, the immediate past President will serve on the Board of Directors for two years in an ex-officio capacity. Except for the Student Councilor the Councilors shall be elected, one each year, each for a term of three years. The Secretary shall be elected to serve for a term of two years. The Treasurer shall be elected to serve a term of three years. Elected officers shall assume office at the beginning of the Annual Meeting of the American Anthropological Association at which each is declared to be elected. The Editor of the Society’s journal shall be appointed by the Board of Directors to serve for a term of three years. The Board of Directors shall invite candidates to apply for this office by means of advertisements, describing desirable qualifications, appearing in appropriate publications, and shall select an Editor by a majority vote. The Editor shall assume office at a date determined by the Board of Directors, or by the President mandated to do so by the Board. The Associate Editor will be nominated by the Editor and approved by majority vote of the Board of Directors to serve a term concurrent with that of the Editor.

Section 4. No person shall be eligible for reelection to the office of President-Elect or Councillor until the annual Business Meeting two years after the term of their office has expired. The Secretary and the Treasurer may not serve in the same position for more than two terms without lapse of two years. The term of office of the Editor of the Society’s journal is renewable.

Section 5. In the event of a vacancy in any office, through absence, death, resignation, or incapacity, the Board of Directors shall have the power to make interim appointments to the office. The appointment shall terminate at the next Annual Business Meeting. The remaining term of the office shall be filled by election at the next Annual Election or by election at the annual Business Meeting of the Society. Individuals so appointed or elected to interim terms for periods of one-half or less of the normal elective term may be elected to that office for an immediate subsequent term.

Section 6. Subject to general directives and limitations imposed by a majority of the membership at the Annual Business Meeting, any Special Meeting, or by mail ballot; the Board of Directors, as a collective body, properly assembled, shall have authority to execute on behalf of the Society all powers and functions of the Society, as defined in this Constitution, and further may perform any act necessary or appropriate for the administration of the affairs of the Society. [Return to Top of the page]

ARTICLE V. Duties of Officers

Section 1. President. The President is the presiding officer of the Society and Chairperson of the Board of Directors. The President shall exercise all the duties and responsibilities commonly associated with this office as provided by law, except as provided by these Bylaws. The President may appoint representatives of the Society to other societies, agencies, or councils or select such representatives from slates submitted by other societies, agencies, or councils. Acting on the advice and consent of the Board of Directors, the President shall appoint all necessary committees and define their duties. The actions of the President in exercising the duties and responsibilities of the office shall be subject to review and approval of the Board of Directors. In the event the President is unable to fulfill the duties of the office, these duties shall be assumed by the President-Elect. In the event the President-Elect is unable to assume the duties of the President, the Board of Directors shall appoint one of their members to assume the office of President and shall make appropriate and necessary adjustments to provide a smooth succession of the offices of President and President-Elect until these offices can be filled by annual election. The President shall serve as the representative of the Society on the Section Assembly and the Executive Board of the Association. In the event the President is unable to serve as representative, the Board of Directors of the Society shall designate a replacement.

Section 2. Secretary. The Secretary, accountable to and subject to the directive of the Board of Directors, shall be responsible for the maintenance of the central office of the Society, and shall have custody of the books and records of the Society as the Board of Directors may provide, and otherwise discharge the duties commonly associated with the office, subject to the provisions in this Constitution together with the other duties the Board of Directors may prescribe. The Secretary shall have general charge of administrative matters under the direction of the President; shall act as Secretary of the Board of Directors; shall render an annual report to the Board of Directors which upon approval shall be presented at the annual Business Meeting and included in the Minutes of the meeting. In the event of absence, death, or incapacity of the Treasurer, the Secretary shall have power to receive and disburse funds of the Society. Such powers shall remain in force until a successor to the Treasurer is appointed or elected. The Secretary shall compile the minutes of Annual Business, Special, Regional, and Joint Meetings of the Society which shall include reports of all officers, committees, delegates, and representatives required to make such reports. All such minutes shall form the Annual Report of the Society which shall be published in the Newsletter or another publication of the Society. The Secretary shall be responsible for the Society’s column in the Anthropology Newsletter .

Section 3. Treasurer. The Treasurer shall be responsible for the administration of the finances of the Society subject to budgetary and other regulations approved by the Board of Directors, and the Treasurer shall be the Society’s fiscal agent in dealing with other persons and organizations. The Treasurer shall be responsible for the maintenance of proper and adequate records which at all times shall be open to inspection of the Board of Directors. The Treasurer shall submit a budget for the ensuing year and shall render an annual report which when approved by the Board of Directors shall be presented at the Annual Business Meeting for approval by the majority of the membership present. The Treasurer shall see that the membership and mailing list for publications of the Society are maintained and shall arrange for the case and sale of surplus publications owned by the Society.

Section 4. The Editor of the Society’s journal shall have full charge of the journal for the Society, under the direction of the Board of Directors and subject to the provisions of these Bylaws. The Editor shall render an annual report to the Board of Directors which upon approval shall be presented at the Annual Business Meeting. The Editor may, subject to review by the Board of Directors, appoint Associate and Assistant Editors. The Associate and Assistant Editors shall serve concurrently with and under the direction of the Editor, to whom they shall be responsible.

Section 5. Councilors. Councilors shall attend the meetings and participate in the business of the Board of Directors, serve on such sub-committees as may be established, and take on special assignments for the Board of Directors.

Section 6. Leeds Prize Committee Chair. The Leeds Committee Chair serves under the direction of the Board of Directors for a three-year, renewable term of office and is subject to the provisions of these Bylaws. The Chair is the officer of the society who is responsible for maintaining the mission of the prize. The Board of Directors selects the Chair from among the prize or honor book winners. The Chair shall have full charge of the administration of the Leeds Prize selection process, including mentoring new committee members (prize winners), receiving and distributing nominated books to the committee, working with the committee to develop a consensus on the prize and the citation, and for arranging the cash prize(s) and plaque(s). The Chair shall not vote on the committee selections, but shall actively facilitate the communication between the committee members. The Chair shall provide timely information about the prize (announcement, prize citations) to the Secretary of the Society, the discussion list editor and the society’s webmaster. The Chair shall also communicate with Elizabeth Leeds to inform her of the awards the Society makes in her husband’s name. The Chair shall render an annual report to the Board of Directors, which upon approval shall be presented at the Annual Business Meeting (reading of the citation(s) and presentation of the prize(s)). The Leeds Committee Chair shall, subject to review by the Board of Directors, appoint any necessary replacements to the Committee from among former prize and honor book winners.

Section 7. Board of Directors. The Board of Directors may hold Special Meetings at the call of the President upon fifteen days’ notice to each Director given personally by mail, by telephone or telegraph, which notice shall state the time, place and purpose of the meetings. Special Meetings of the Board of Directors shall be called by the President at any time upon written demand of at least three members of the Board. A quorum of the Board of Directors shall consist of a majority of its membership. Questions shall be decided by the Board of Directors by a majority of the votes cast at any meeting or by mail ballot. In case of a tie vote the decision of the President shall be final. The President alone may, or shall at the written request of any member of the Board of Directors, ask the Board to vote on specific questions by mail ballots. Ballots shall be mailed by the Secretary who shall specify on the ballots the date on or before which they are to be placed in the mail for return to the Secretary. This date shall be not less than thirty days or more than sixty days from the date they were placed in the mail by the Secretary. Reports of officers, representatives, delegates, committees, and agents shall by approved by the Board of Directors. At the direction of the Board of Directors, these reports may be presented in full or brief form at the annual Business Meeting. The Board of Directors Shall act upon the budget provided by the Treasurer. (A budget shall be submitted by the Board of Directors at the annual Business Meeting for approval). Certain duties of the Secretary and the Treasurer and their assistant may be delegated by the Board of Directors to the extent the Board of Directors deems necessary when in the opinion of the Board of Directors these duties become too burdensome for the Secretary and Treasurer and their assistants, if any, to handle, and the Secretary and the Treasurer and their assistants shall no longer be responsible for the performance of the duties so delegated by the Board of Directors.

Section 8. Removal or Resignation from Office. Any member of the Board of Directors who misses two consecutive meetings of the Board of Directors is subject to removal for nonattendance. Written notification of this possibility will be provided after the first missed meeting with dismissal action possible by a two-thirds vote of the Board of Directors during (or subsequent to) the second missed meeting. The Board of Directors shall by majority vote immediately fill such vacated office for its remaining term. The same provision shall apply to such offices vacated by resignation of a Member of the Board. [Return to Top of the page]

ARTICLE VI. Elections

Section 1. By 15 September of each year the Board of Directors shall appoint a Nominating Committee of three, of which at least one but not more than two shall be a current member of the Board of Directors, for the officers whose terms expire in the following year. For all offices the Nominating Committee shall nominate by 30 January of the year following its appointment at least two and not more than three member candidates for offices that will be vacated in that following year. All prospective nominees must indicate in writing or by e-mail to the Nominating Committee their willingness to serve as officers of the Society. The list of nominees shall be mailed to the individual members of the Society in accordance to the AAA’s electoral procedure for election to office in all of its Sections.

Section 2. Each member shall be entitled to vote for one candidate for each office. Voting shall be by mail ballot. Ballots shall be mailed to the members of the Society by the AAA in accordance with its procedures for electing officers to all its component Sections. The results of the elections shall be announced by the Nominating Committee at the annual Business Meeting. The candidate for an office who received the highest number of votes shall be declared elected to that office. In the event of a tie vote, the Nominating Committee shall hold a run-off election a the annual Business Meeting.

ARTICLE VII. Referendum

Section 1. A referendum vote shall be held by mail ballot at any time upon the initiation of the Board of Directors or a signed petition to the Board of Directors by 2% of the individual membership. Ballots shall be mailed to all members in good standing. In order that they may be counted as votes, ballots must be placed in the mail by members and addressed to the Secretary not more than sixty days after the date when they were mailed to members by the Secretary. A majority of votes received shall constitute the deciding vote. The Secretary shall certify the vote to the Board of Directors. [Return to Top of the page]

ARTICLE VIII. Meetings

Section 1. The Society shall hold an annual Business Meeting in conjunction with the Annual Meetings of the AAA unless the Board of Directors decides otherwise. The attending members shall constitute a quorum. At this meeting the business of the Society shall be transacted by a majority vote of the members in attendance.

Section 2. Due notice of the place, date and time of the next Annual Business Meeting and a list of nominees for vacate offices shall be published in the Newsletter and/or mailed to the members in good standing at least ninety days in advance of the date of the meeting. Notices of Special Meetings shall be mailed by the Secretary to members at least sixty days in advance of the meeting.

Section 3. The Board of Directors may direct the Society to hold Scientific Meetings, at which papers and reports of scientific interest are presented and symposia and discussions are held, and the Board shall determine the time and place of these meetings. The Program Chair for sessions held in conjunction with the Annual Business Meeting shall be the President-Elect. For other such Scientific Meetings the Board of Directors shall appoint a Program Chairperson and a Local Arrangements Chairperson. These individuals shall have the responsibility for designing the form and content of the program and arrange for accommodations and facilities, in consultation with the Board of Directors. Notice of Scientific, Joint or Regional Meetings shall be mailed by the Secretary to members as far in advance of the date of the meeting as possible and the preliminary program shall be mailed to members at least sixty days in advance of the date of the meeting. Programs for joint or Regional Meetings shall be the responsibility of persons or special committees appointed by the President as conditions require. .

Section 4. Special Meetings shall be called by the President at any time at the direction of the Board of Directors. Any matter of business is specified in the call. Joint or Regional Meetings for the purpose of discussing scientific problems, symposia, and matters of mutual interest among scientists may be called by the President at any time, and shall be called upon direction by the Board of Directors, in both cases at least sixty days advance notice shall be given.

Section 5. An annual business meeting of the Board of Directors shall be held before the Annual Business Meeting of the Society. Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be held at the call of the President. The President shall call a special meeting of the Board of Directors at any time upon the written demand of at least three members thereof, provided at least sixty days advance notice is given. The President may, on her/his own or at the request of two or more of the Board of Directors, initiate an email-based discussion of a specific issue. Any member of the Board of Directors may call the question to a vote after a period of discussion. The President may accept the call or may request a second call of the question from the remaining Board members. Once the President has formulated the question, it is called. The members of the Board of Directors will have seven calendar days, including weekends and holidays, to respond to the President with a vote for or against the question. The question is passed when a majority of the voting members of the Board of Directors vote in favor of it. The question is rejected when a majority of the Board of Directors fails to vote within the seven-day period, or when a majority of the Board of Directors votes against the question. Questions decided in this fashion will have the same force as questions decided in face-to-face meetings.

Section 6. All matters of business of the Society may be decided by means of a referendum vote by mail ballot under conditions specified in Article VIII.

Section 7. The Board of Directors shall be empowered to submit resolutions or motions passed at the Annual Business Meeting for ratification by the Society membership in a mail ballot. If a resolution or motion passed at the Annual Business Meeting is not supported by a majority of the members of the Board of Directors, ratification by the Society membership in a mail ballot shall be mandatory. The ballots shall be sent out by the Secretary within thirty days of the Annual Business Meeting and returned to the Secretary within sixty days of the mailing. [Return to Top of the page]

ARTICLE IX. Finances

Section 1. The fiscal year of the Society shall follow the schedule set up by the AAA.

Section 2. Annual dues shall be fixed by the Board of Directors.

Section 3. Annual dues shall be payable on the date for rewable of membership.

Section 4. The Annual dues of a husband and wife, who shall receive publications and communications of the Society as if they were a single member, but who otherwise shall have all other privileges as if they were individual members, will have their dues reduced in an amount determined by the Board of Directors.

Section 5. The Board of Directors shall determine whether there will be different types of membership, such as Sustaining or Life Members, that provide long-term membership privileges resulting from special dues or the conferment of special status, as with retired persons or those in the position of Emeritus.

Section 6. The Board of Directors may direct the transfer of sums of money from the Working Fund to a Permanent Fund which shall be invested in the name of the Society in a manner not inconsistent with the requirements of the Section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Section 7. The income from annual dues and from investments and other sources shall constitute the Working Fund, available for operating, publication, and other current expenses consistent with the purposes of the Society as the Board of Directors may direct.

Section 8. No financial obligation in excess of funds available in the treasury shall be assumed by the Board of Directors or by any officer on behalf of the Society present at a regular Annual Business Meeting or at a Special Meeting; provided that for the purpose of this section, estimated receipts from the annual dues and other accounts receivable for the current year may be considered as available funds.

ARTICLE X. Indemnification

Section 1. The Society shall indemnify any officer or member of the Board of Directors, of the Society for expenses and costs (including attorney’s fees) actually and necessarily incurred by him in connection with any claim asserted against him, by action in court or otherwise, by reason of his being or having been such officer or member of the Board, except in relation to matters as to which he shall have been guilty of gross negligence or criminal misconduct with respect to the matter in which indemnity is sought.

ARTICLE XI Amendments

Section 1. These Bylaws may be amended by a mail vote of the members. A majority of the votes cast is sufficient for approval.

Section 2. Amendments may be proposed by the Board of Directors or by 2% of the membership of the Society. The proposed amendments shall be mailed to the members of the Society by the Secretary. Members shall address ballots to the Secretary and place them in the mail not more than sixty days from the date whey were mailed out by the Secretary. An amendment shall go into effect immediately upon adoption unless otherwise specifically provided.

Section 3. The amendments and provisions and these Bylaws shall supersede and nullify all previous enactments in conflict with them.